Fans of Chinese and Mandarin
Conversational scenarios, expression techniques, and pronunciation correction exercises—focused on practical Chinese speaking skills
Simple reason? They sound cute. Well, there is no explicit rule to repeat the same character in the name. However, it’s not uncommon to see the repeated characters in the real names and nicknames. The reason being that the Chinese parents would often spend a considerable amount of time deciding/thinking the names/nicknames of their (upcoming) … Read more
Xiao jie, I suppose you mean 小姐， was a honorific title like “miss” or “my lady” during the Republic of China in the first half of the 20th century. After the Communist takeover and the elimination of the classes, the term ceased to exist in mainland China, until it was reintroduced by overseas Chinese and … Read more
[Portugal & grapes: 葡萄牙 pútáoyá / pwutaurya & 葡萄 pútao / pwu.taur, GR Tonal Spelling (Gwoyeu Romatzyh)] 蒲陶, the Chinese word for grape, is attested over 2100 years ago in Records of the Grand Historian 《史記大宛列傳》西元前138年 (138 BCE) 「大宛在匈奴西南，在漢正西，去漢可萬里。其俗土著，耕田，田稻麥，蒲陶酒。 有蒲陶酒。」 Dàyuān zài Xiōngnú xīnán, zài Hàn zhèng xī, qù Hàn kě wàn lǐ. Qí sú tǔzhù, gēng tián, tián dào … Read more
Hua（华） Xia （夏） This is how the Chinese people refer to themselves. Hua 华 = beautiful clothing Xia 夏 = a sense of propriety. I believe that four or five thousand years ago, our ancestors used this term to distinguish themselves from the “barbarians.” The barbarians at that time probably still wore animal skins and … Read more
Many Chinese people take pride in the fact that their language is supposed to be impossibly difficult for foreigners to master (many westerners also assume this to be true). Shh…! Don’t tell anybody this secret! Actually, learning basic Chinese is quite easy, but only if you have the right attitude, the right approach and the right tools. Chinese … Read more
I thought I’d post a response to Kang-Lin Cheng’s post as to where 「民」 came from and how it got its meaning today. 「民」 (slave > the common people) originally depicted an eye 「目」 getting jabbed by a sharp object. It is unclear what the oracle bone form of the sharp object was, but in the bronze inscription forms … Read more
“绿茶” literally means green tea, 婊= “bitch” or “prostitute.” Online, people usually say just “green tea” as a euphemism. It refers to a type of woman who looks pure and innocent on the outside, behaving as if she is gentle, considerate, kind, and lovely. She pretends to be delicate, sentimental, and graceful in front of others, yet behind the scenes … Read more
Chinese American TikToker Sherry started the “becoming Chinese” vogue by sharing her cultural insights online. She stated with mock solemnity: “Tomorrow, you’re turning Chinese. I know it sounds intimidating, but resisting it now is pointless.” When a country becomes stronger, everything it claims is validated. Likewise, when a country is weak, nobody pays attention to … Read more
Never give up! Never give in! Everyone is equal. Is there anyone born as a king, duke, general or minister? One who fears not being cut to pieces dares to unhorse the emperor. In the bones of the Chinese, they refused to admit defeat and refused to admit their fate. To the unfair provocation, politeness, … Read more
For a moment I thought the question was “Why is becoming overseas Chinese trendy”. Oh well, maybe some day. Guess the soft power is paying off for China, be it computer games, movies, social media, fluffy toys, or positive travel experiences. People also like winners, and China is currently winning in EV, tech, green energy, … Read more